Sweet, precious, perfect...Brody Campbell Lutz

Let me start by saying...I'M SORRY!!! I am that mom that has her baby and lets everything else go for six months! I thought for sure I would keep up with this, but I promise I will from here on out! I have about a zillion blogs to post on here, but I'll start with the most important...

On October 25, 2009 at 11:10 AM, my perfect miracle entered the world! Brody Campbell Lutz graced us with his presence...all 8 lbs 3 oz and 21 inches long of him! My labor was actually really great compared to some of the horror stories I've heard. I went to the hospital on Saturday morning, the 24th after what I thought were pregnancy symptoms, including light contractions (I'll spare you the details of the symptoms). We got there around 7am and were discharged around 5pm...never dilating past 2 cm. I thought for sure it was labor, but we went to my parents' house since they live much closer to the hospital. I had contractions through the night that progressed, but didn't seem to be consistent. At 4am, I had a massive contraction, and from there on out...they were 2 minutes apart. Taylor rushed me to the hospital where I had Brody 7 hours later after only 20 minutes of pushing! He was really ready to meet us! And let me just say, praise Jesus for epidurals...what a life saver! I only had to endure a little over 2 hours of those horrific contractions!

I just have to thank God that he was born in perfect health...and just really perfect in my opinion! Most of our family were able to make it for his birth! Taylor's parents were worried they wouldn't make it once we called and I was in hard labor, but they made it just in time! Above are a few pictures from his birthday...much more to come from the last 7 weeks!

Could be soon???

Tomorrow I'll be 38 weeks pregnant! I had an appointment today and am 1 cm dilated. To me, this didn't mean very much seeing as how I know my sister was dilated forever before she actually had Ella, but the doctor said that the head was EXTREMELY low and in position. THIS scared me a bit! I wasn't expecting to hear that! She said she would be shocked if I made it to my due date. Now, I'm all about having him early to avoid any possibility of a Halloween baby, but I guess I wasn't processing that this could happen at any time. She said to be conscious of contractions, even if they are not painful, and to look for other signs. I have another appointment next Wednesday where we will see if further progress has been made!

I really have to kick things into gear now! We have the crib and changing table/dresser all ready in the nursery. Bedding is in the crib, and lots of clothes have been washed. We were hoping to have time to finish the little things in the nursery, but I doubt baby will care:). We will be focusing the next few days on getting all of our stuff as unpacked and cleaned up as possible!

Sooo...stay tuned...could be an eventful week!!!!

37 Weeks

I am 9 months pregnant, just signed to close on our house, and moved in all in one week. Anxiety doesn't begin to describe what's been going on with me lately! WHAT A WEEK! So this past Monday, Taylor drove to Hickory late after work. Tuesday (thanks to Lowes paying for packers/loaders...what a Godsend) he, with help, packed up the house in Hickory, loaded it all up Wednesday, and drove back to Atlanta in a 24-foot truck Wednesday night. I hear that wasn't the most relaxing experience! Thursday morning we closed on both houses back to back, and had unloaders come unload all our stuff int othe new house around noon. I honestly have no idea how we pulled this off! We couldn't have done it without our ridiculously amazing family and friends. Taylor's parents helped with the Hickory stuff and his dad is here now helping us move in. My mom has been at the house helping unpack and clean...not an easy task with over a hundred boxes!

All I could think for the week was, oh God please please please don't let me go into labor yet! We only have a couple of weeks left, and God's timing is just incredible. To think that we got our house right at the perfect time and got in right before the baby comes...I'm just amazed. We've had our ups and downs...and certainly very stressful times, but God is good...and I'm so thankful for where we've been and where we are going!

Taylor is painting the nursery tomorrow!!! I'm so excited to finally get everything up and ready for the baby. I'll post pictures just as soon as we have it done, though, judging by the belly, might not be done until AFTER the baby is here:). Thank you for all your prayers...we can't wait to get baby Lutz here!!!

Uncomfortable? Me???

We are officially in the home stretch. I can't believe we are a little over a month away from meeting our little man! I have been one of those annoying pregnant women who constantly say I love being pregnant...because it's been true. I never understood the women who complained about pregnancy and didn't love it. I now know that they must be in the last month! I've never been so uncomfortable in all my life. My feet and ankles are completely swollen, my back hurts, my stomach feels like it's going to explode, and I can't sleep. Other than that, I love it:). Don't get me wrong...nothing compares to feeling him roll over in my belly and watching him switch from one side to the other. The bruised rib feeling sort of gets old though! I will be happy when he is here and I can breathe again!!!!

We have a little over two weeks before we close on our house, which gives us roughly two weeks before the baby's due date. Uncomfortableness aside...please pray the baby holds off until after we move in!!! Here is our new house, well, will be our new house October 8th!!

We are appreciating all prayers that the closing goes smoothly and we move in without any water breaking! God has been so good to us...we are just so thankful!

We do have a name picked out for the little one...I know...I hear you all gasping that it FINALLY happened! We have "decided" but agreed not to set anything in stone until we see his face and know for sure. We are still keeping a top 2 or 3 just in case, but think we've settled on the one! We will be taking a few 34 week pictures, much to my dismay as I now feel like a whale, but here are a few 32 week pics I never posted.

6 and a half left to go...

Could it really be that I only have a little over 6 weeks until this baby is here? Most women in my position are ready as can be, but I'd like to extend this time a little bit! I'm due on the 29th, but we close on our house in Hickory as WELL as our house in Atlanta on October 8th. That only gives us a few weeks to get the house in order and the nursery ready! I know it won't all be perfect, but we have a pretty awesome God who answered our prayers to let us be in a house before the baby was here.

We have so much to do leading up to the day, and it feels like our heads are spinning!!! I had another shower in Hickory this past weekend. Sue was sweet enough to do that for us! It was absolutely beautiful and so wonderful to see so many great friends! Also, we got to see Ella and bring her back with us to Atlanta for the week. Lindy is missing her something awful, but we are thankful to have this precious time...and she could not be a sweeter, more precious, more beautiful baby!!!! We just adore her. Here are a few little snapshots from the other day with her.

See, I told you...perfection! I can't wait for her to meet her cousin!!!

SOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Most of you, if not all of you, know that we have had our house on the market for over a year now. We happened to move at the best time...right before the market took a nose dive. We got an offer on our house last September that we didn't take due to the amount of money we would have lost...well, a year later we received just about the same exact offer. I wish we could say that we got what we needed out of it, but God provides!!!!! This was such an answer to prayer. I don't think it's a coincidence that we've been praying "Please God...just let it sell by the end of August!" Our movers are paid through Taylor's company through October, so this is such a blessing...and two months before the baby arrives! God has a plan, and has taught me so much about prayer and trust this past year. We are so thankful that He works in the ways He does!

So this is a bit bittersweet as we are THRILLED to have the house under contract, but a bit sad that we will be moving the stuff out of our first home together! It was a great house! On to the next chapter...

Sweet Max!!!!

Max is feeling a little left out. We have this blog all dedicated to the baby, and he was the 1st baby we had. I get a little sad when I think of the attention he will be missing when the baby gets here. I know that when Ella was here for the week, well, let's just say the dogs weren't 1st priority anymore!!! We will have to make sure to pay special attention to him and give him lots of love! Here's a picture of our sweet Max:)

Baby Shower #2

Last Sunday I had my baby shower at church....so much fun! Cindy went all out and did a fabulous job of decorating and making the food. We had a great time of socializing and opening cute baby gifts! Some pictures are below:

Looking forward to the shower in Hickory with all my girlfriends in a couple of weeks!!!:)

Quick Belly Update

Just a quick update to post the latest belly shots. I'm officially 30 weeks, but took these at 29. It's amazing what a week can do! I feel like I can't possible stretch any further, but I'm told I will be shocked at what the belly can do toward the end. Let's hope my skin is up to the challenge:). So here are a few 29 week pics:

3d/4d Ultrasound

This was quite possibly the most amazing experience I've had thus far in pregnancy. There is absolutely nothing like seeing your baby on the screen and getting to see his facial features and expressions. He was not too fond of being pushed on so he would move his hands away from his face, but it made for some precious brow furrowing...I'm so in love already!!! I felt so connected to him in a way that just grows each week...with each movement and kick. It's as though I can sense him developing a personality already. I know maybe that's strange, but hey, I'm carrying him so I can feel what I want:). Anyway, here are his precious pictures!!! Oh, and I will spare him from putting up more pictures confirming it's a boy...but he is definitely all boy! I also have some 29 week belly pictures to come...man that thing is sticking out now!

I love that the last one looks like he's praying...since the music playing during the session was Jesus Loves Me!!

27 Weeks...pictures as promised:)

27 weeks...seems so far along!!! I only have a few months left until this perfect little boy is here! The name game is coming along. We have narrowed it down to TWO names and are trying our hardest to make a decision. Knowing us, may be a GAME TIME decision after seeing him! I feel like I am at the part of my pregnancy where I feel so blessed. I just can't believe that God is allowing me to carry this baby. I'm just so thankful I'm healthy and he seems healthy! No matter what the circumstances, God is letting me know He is in control and taking care of him even in the womb! I'm so in love with him already.

But, I digress. Here are the 27 week pictures! I'm getting so big!

I'm so looking forward to my shower this weekend with the Jackson Group ladies I miss so much:). It will be tons of fun! Also, 3d/4d ultrasound only a couple of weeks away!!!

Three Years....

How time flies. Three years ago yesterday I married the love of my life. It doesn't seem like it's been that long, but what an awesome few years! And now with a baby on the way, just couldn't get better. Our anniversary was low-key and sweet. We went to our FAVORITE restaurant in Dunwoody, Joey D's. We figured we might as well enjoy these nice dinners while we can...before it's kid's eat free night wherever we can find it! I just feel so blessed that God put Taylor in my life. Not only is he an amazing husband, but I can't wait to see what an amazing father he's going to be.

Ok, enough sweet talk! I'm 26 weeks today and feeling every bit of it here lately. The baby is resting nicely in my ribs. I think he enjoys this as I get short of breath during the day! I freaked out a bit a few days ago and called my sister because I had not felt him all day. She laughed at me and said she was talked down from going to the doctor about 20 times for the same thing. Her remedy? Drink a little caffeine and see what happens. Well....I paid for that later. After drinking an entire coke, about an hour later, I was literally being beat up from the inside. He was loving it! But I was happy to feel him again...I don't like those sleepy baby days! Today his little feet are in full swing. I do think I will miss this when he's actually here.

Hopefully I will be posting 26 week belly pictures soon. It's amazing how it grows week to week...it's starting to get "serious" as Taylor says. 3d/4d ultrasound is coming up in just a few weeks!!! Can't WAIT!!!!

24 Week Update

So we have actually hit the 6 month marker...the finish line inches closer and closer each day! My belly also grows bigger and bigger each day:). I had my 24-week appointment today. The dreaded glucose screen wasn't near as bad as I thought. Besides the sugary sweet drink...it wasn't half bad. I got to hear his strong, healthy heartbeat, and it seems all is well!

The SCARY part of the appointment is that I was asked to fill out the "delivery plan". I don't know about you other 1st time moms, but I was not NEAR ready to decide on some of those things yet! Luckily...not written in stone, so there is room to change your mind, but wow. Do I want this during labor, do I want that...no clue! Hopefully some of that clarity will come with the birth classes which are soon to come!

This week the baby is a little over a foot and weighs a little over one pound. He feels a whole lot bigger than that when he is kicking my ribs! I have a slow steady pain on my right side under my ribs where he likes to bear down. I feel as though he already has a little stubborn personality! I can't wait to meet him! And still no name decided. We have a clear front runner, but haven't COMPLETELY decided yet...such a hard decision! Below are some 24 week pictures of the belly bump! It's popping out there!

22 weeks...and HE'S KICKING!!!

I have been waiting for these kicks for a while now! I have friends who say they felt their babies early and late, but right around 21 weeks I started feeling tiny little kicks. I felt some fluttering around the 20 week mark, but no actual kicks. Well,...this week he's running a marathon in there. I can actually see my stomach jump a tiny bit in places where I feel the kicking. He's extremely active, which I guess I am thankful for! I may not be so thankful when I'm 30 weeks and trying to sleep:). But for now at least, it's the most precious feeling in the world.

The baby this week is around 11 inches long and weights right at a pound. We've come a long way! I can't imagine him being so big...but of course, we have a while to go. It is deathly hot in Atlanta, but I'm not yet obscenely uncomfortable. Luckily I'm not huge yet. My belly is growing a little more each week (or my husband would say each DAY!). Taylor is still a bit weirded out by how hard the belly is. I keep reminding him there's a baby in there. He got to feel the kicks a few nights ago and hear the heart beat on the prenatal heartbeat listener. He is still getting onto me about all the baby clothes I'm already getting! Baby Boy Lutz will be well dressed!:) My mom is already addicted to buying baby clothes with Ella, so now she just has to venture to the baby boy side too! It's just too fun to buy those sweet little clothes.

Everything seems to be going quite well with the pregnancy! We are thankful he's healthy and growing on schedule. My next appointment is July 9th - the glucose screening. I have no idea what this means, but I'll let you know the results! Hopefully I will get some more belly pics up before then to show the progress!

20 weeks...HALF WAY THERE!!!!

We just barely made it with the 20 week prego pics! Tomorrow is 21 weeks, so I wanted to update with the progress. This belly is GROWING! Baby Boy Lutz (still unnamed) is 6 and 1/2 inches long and almost weighs a whole pound:). He's the length of a banana apparently! I'm sure he's the most precious thing in the world too. I can't beleive he is so big! Still no kicks that I can feel due to the placement of the placenta, but I can certainly feel him moving and bouncing around...and I still feel the fluttering which I love.

I'm allowed soft drinks if I space them out, but I still try to limit them. Lately though, if I allow myself one, I feel the baby moving like CRAZY! I will try to keep myself from overdoing the soft drinks just so I can feel him.

So here are the latest pics...the belly is HUGE!

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!!!!

So we are a little late posting:)...but it's a beautiful baby boy! We found out last Wednesday and have been yelling the news ever since. We are so blessed to be having this baby, and Taylor is absolutely thrilled that we are having a boy. This will be a whole new journey for me seeing as how we are a family of GIRLS!!! But how exciting! Now we get to start picking names...which we do NOT agree on whatsoever...it's just too hard to a pick a name your child will have the rest of his life!

I am posting some pictures to prove he's all boy! We got to see every little bone and organ growing and developing in his body...and everything looks perfect. He's growing right on schedule. He likes to hold his arms up at his face like he's stretching, and he's ACTIVE!!! She said once I start feeling those kicks...they may be brutal! He's just absolutely precious already, and I can't wait to meet him in October! Thank you all for your support, love, and prayers! We love him so much already...and know he will be surrounded by so much love when he's finally here!!!

BOY or GIRL?????

We find out tomorrow. Wow I can't believe we've come this far already! 20 weeks and we are halfway there! I'm feeling really good and haven't gotten too big yet thankfully. I just wanted to post a quick update with a few 18 week pictures that were late and say tomorrow is the big day! We find out at 10:30 AM and will keep everyone updated!

And a few of my beautiful niece's visit!!!

16 weeks and counting

This is the part where the pregnancy gets REALLY REAL! My belly is starting to grow, and though I haven't actually felt the baby yet, the stomach shows that he/she is truly there! It's so neat for us to watch it grow and read each week how the baby is growing and developing. Since the joke now is that people want to know the "fruit of the week"...the baby this week is the size of an avacado! Who knew??

I had a doctor's appointment last week, and had a little scary moment. The doctor wasn't able to locate the heartbeat with the monitor, but said she could hear him or her moving quite a bit! So the baby just wouldn't sit still long enough to have the heart beat audible. So, I got an unexpected ultrasound! I was SO upset because after seeing the heart beat was fine (heart rate was 140), the ultrasound tech looked at me with a grin and said, "Do you want to know the sex?" I almost screamed! I said that I couldn't without Taylor being with me...much to my dismay! But, if a mom's instinct is anything at all...it certainly could be a boy. Now of course in 4 weeks I will eat my words if they tell me it is a girl, but I will be more than thrilled either way. But yes, I proved to myself I could actually show restraint!

So...here is the much awaited belly pic! I wasn't thrilled with the ones we took, but at least with this you can see a bump is moving in! I will take more this week and post them for weekly or bi-weekly progress!

Oh Sweet Baby Ella Rae

My sister, Lindy, finally had baby Ella on Tuesday morning, May 5th, at 10:55 AM. She's been in the world for not even a week and I love her more than I could ever imagine! She was 8lbs 8oz and 21 inches long...pure perfection. I feel so lucky to have been there when she was born, but miss her so much it hurts! Lindy will be bringing her down to visit on May 30th...so I'm counting the days! Until then...here is beautiful Ella for your viewing pleasure:)

Ella a few hours after birth

Ella and her grandpa

Me and my sweet Ella

Mommy and Baby

All ready to go home!

She's a beauty

Nana giving her love

14 weeks

Our baby is the size of a LEMON!:) According to my babycenter updates, our baby is now 3 and a half inches long, about the size of a lemon. They sum it up a lot better than I can, and they prefer to use the male gender as of now:

Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb. Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb. In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces.

I don't know how I feel about the "your baby can pee" part, but how exciting! I can imagine our baby making little faces...and can't wait to see the expressions! Unfortunately, we do not have an ultrasound at the next appointment, but only have 6 weeks to go until we find out...BOY OR GIRL??? The general concensus is boy, but we have a few holding out for a girl. I will be absolutely thrilled either way...THRILLED!

On another note, Ella Rae is getting ready to grace us with her presence! If Lindy does not go into labor on her own, she will be induced this coming Tuesday! I just can't wait to see my little niece. She will be so beautiful. I will post pictures just as soon as I have them!!

Baby's First Picture

We did get an ultrasound picture at the "confirming pregnancy" visit, but when you are 7-8 weeks pregnant, it doesn't so much look like a baby in there! As previously mentioned, this past appointment let us see the growing baby and there is so much more detail now! You can see the profile...it's so sweet! So...here's the baby!


This was the best I could do taking a picture of the ultrasound:). We are getting so excited! We got a call yesterday from my doctor's office letting us know that all of the genetic screening tests came back NORMAL!!! Praise God for that! That is a huge relief. Testing of course is never over throughout the pregnancy, but at least we are through that round with a good result! We are SO ready to find out the sex so we can really focus in on picking names! We have some definite favorites that are front runners, but we aren't releasing any of those just yet! The appointment in which we determine the sex will be early June. Mark those calendars!